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Deficiency in the guanine nucleotide exchange factor dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8) causes a human immunodeficiency syndrome associated with recurrent sinopulmonary and viral infections. We have recently identified a DOCK8-deficient mouse strain, carrying an ethylnitrosourea-induced splice-site mutation that shows a failure to mature a humoral immune response due to the loss of germinal centre B cells. In this study, we turned to T-cell immunity to investigate further the human immunodeficiency syndrome and its association with decreased peripheral CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells. Characterisation of the DOCK8-deficient mouse revealed T-cell lymphopenia, with increased T-cell turnover and decreased survival. Egress of mature CD4(+) thymocytes was reduced with increased migration of these cells to the chemokine CXCL12. However, despite the two-fold reduction in peripheral naïve T cells, the DOCK8-deficient mice generated a normal primary CD8(+) immune response and were able to survive acute influenza virus infection. The limiting effect of DOCK8 was in the normal survival of CD8(+) memory T cells after infection. These findings help to explain why DOCK8-deficient patients are susceptible to recurrent infections and provide new insights into how T-cell memory is sustained.

Original publication

DOI

10.1002/eji.201141759

Type

Journal article

Journal

Eur J Immunol

Publication Date

12/2011

Volume

41

Pages

3423 - 3435

Keywords

Animals, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes, Cell Movement, Cell Survival, Cells, Cultured, Chemokine CXCL12, Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors, Humans, Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes, Immunologic Memory, Lymphocyte Activation, Lymphoma, T-Cell, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Orthomyxoviridae Infections